Combination separable crib frame and chest of drawers structure



Dec. 12, 1950 F. H. WEIGLE ETAL 2,533,983

COMBINATION SEPARABLE CRIB FRAME AND CHEST OF DRAWERS STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1948 Lyon/0721;

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 RAME F. H. WEIGLE ETAL COMBINATION SEPARABLE CRIB F AND CHEST OF DRAWERS STRUCTURE E "In A I F l ILL Dec. 12, 1950 Filed April 9, 1948 Dec, 12, 1950 F. H. WEIGLE ETAL COMBINATION SEPARABLE CRIB FRAME AND CHEST OF DRAWERS STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9, 1948 H M @W W M Patented Dec. 12, 1950 COMBINATION SEPARABLE CRIB FRAME AND CHEST F DRAWER/S STRUCTURE Francis H. Weigle, Ghicago, and Bernard Yuffy, Oak Park, Ill.

Application April 9, 1948, Serial No. 20,124

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a combination crib and chest of drawers structure and is more particularlyadapted. to such a structure embodied in an infants crib combined with a chifforobe.

In important aspect the invention contemplates a reversible or invertible combination of childs crib and chifforobe in which the crib portion may be uppermost, for use as such, with the chifforobe portion below and providing a support for the crib portion, or, alternatively, in which the chifforobe portion may be uppermost and the crib portion below, in which latter use the crib portion provides not only a support for the chifforobe portion but also a storage compartment.

In still another aspect, the crib portion and chifforobe portion may be separately used, the crib portion for example as a childs play pen, and the chiiforobe portion separately as such, or as a desk.

The invention desirably includes a separable base portion upon which may be immediately supported either the crib portion or the chifforobe portion as preferred.

Gne important object of the invention is that when the structure is used as a crib, the latter is desirably elevated to a position which avoids the necessity of stooping by a person attending a child using the crib, a side of the crib advantageously having a swinging gate member givaccess to crib portion without interference thereby with unimpeded access to the chilforobe portion beneath the crib.

The invention aims to provide a structure of this class which may be economically manufactured in quantity production and which has a minimum number of parts consistent with its objects, and which may be readily assembled and disassembled by the user.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and in which drawings Figure l is a perspective view showing the present invention used as a crib with chifforobe below;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an alternative assembly in which the chifforobe is above and the crib portion below serving as storage space;

Figure 3 is a so-called exploded view of the parts in diagrammatic ore-assembly relation to provide the combination shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the assembly of Fig- 2 ure 1 showing opening movement of gates for the crib;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detailed View of a tenon arrangement for interlocking the parts;

Figure 6 is a similar view showing a complementary mortise arrangement;

Figure 7 shows a modified gate lock construction;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the gates of Figure 7 in locked position; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the chifiorobe portion with doors removed leaving an open storage compartment, in which arrangement the portion may function as a desk.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, the numeral ii indicates a base upon which rests a chest of drawers or storage portion l2 upon which again is supported a bed or crib portion [3.

As shown in Fig. 1, the parts just referred to, which, as indicated in Fig. 3, are separable, may be assembled first with the storage portion immediately on the base I I and then the bed portion i3 above and supported by the storage portion !2.

In this instance, the base I! is of rectangular frame-like formation of dimensions suitable to receive the lower edges of the storage portion I2 thereon spaced slightly inwardly of the outer edge of the base.

The storage portion l2 as here shown comprises storage drawers such as it, l5, l6 and H, at one side, and a storage compartment is (Fig. 9) at the other side, which may be closed by the outwardly swinging doors is and 2B.

The bed portion l3, as here illustrated, is in the form of an infants crib having having the mattress supporting surface 2|, which may be of flat panel-like formation and may have the solid panel-like head and foot members 22 and 23, a back 24 of the so-called rail fence type, and a gate element along its front represented in this instance by the two outwardly swinging gates 25 and 26, also of the so-called rail-fence type. The gates 25 and 26 may swing on hinge rods 21 and 28 respectively (Fig. l) and may be provided with looking members of the so-called bolt type 29 and 3!].

For keying the parts I I, I2 and 13 together one of the parts may have a pin or tenon 3| (Fig. 5) vertically extending therefrom and the other adjacent part a pin well or mortise 32 (Fig. 6).

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the gates 32 and 33 may pivot on hinge rods 34 and 35 and one of these gates as gate 32 may have vertical sliding movement with respect to its hinge rod 34. Thus when the companion gate 33 is moved into its closed position the gate 32 may then be so moved and lifted on its hinge rod 34 as to permit a locking tongue 36, which is rigid with the gate 32, to drop into a slot 3? in the upper edge of the gate 33 to maintain the gates in locked position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 the storage portionl2 may have the doors l9 and 2B removed leaving the storage space l3 open at which time the portion i2 may function as a desk, the space l8 providing a knee hole. For this purpose the portion l2 has a flat panel-like top l2a.

In the assembly shown in Fig. 1, with the crib portion 13 uppermost, the person attending the infant occupying the crib is not required to stoop to reach the infant, since the crib portion is elevated by the storage portion E2 to a height somewhat comparable to that of the usual household table-top. At the same time since access to the crib is afforded by the outwardly swinging gates 25 and 25 it is unneccessary for the person to reach over the top of the crib side. When the gates 25 and 26 are locked together, by suitable means such as hereinbefore indicated, the infant is prevented from falling out of the crib, the sides being also high enough to prevent its climbing over. At the same time, access is afforded to the drawers M, 15, it or I! and the storage compartment 58 without moving the bed portion or crib.

After the child reaches an. age where it would no longer use the crib, the structure may be advantageously made use of entirely for-storage purposes in which case the assembly may be reversed or inverted as shown in Fig. 2, with, in this case, the crib portion 63 directly on the base II and the storage portion i2 thereabove and supported thereby. Since the gates 25 and 26 open outwardly the crib portion may be used for storage purposes, with, the drawers it, i5, it and I? and the storage compartment is thereabove at the height of the customary chiiforobe.

If it be desired to use the portion 52 as a desk, as indicated in Fig. 9, the doors I 9 and 29 having been removed, the crib portion i3 may be used separately as a childs play pen.

The crib gates may have handles 38, the doors i9 and Zilhandle-s 39, and the drawers handles 29.

So constructed and arranged, we have disclosed a novel and useful article of household furniture which has particular utility at the present time with the high prices of furniture and the paucity of space commonly available for livingpurposes. An infant usually requires both a crib and a chifforobe and these pieces of furniture separately-require double the amount of floor space which is necessitated by the structure here disclosed. At the same time, the usual crib is low and requires a person attending the child to stoop or bend ovcr'frequently, which may be eliminated by the present invention. Commonly, if a play pen be provided as the child gets older, a third article of furniture must ordinarily be added, whereas, as here shown, the crib portion maybe arranged to serve additionally as a play pen. Again as the child grows older, commonly the crib must be discarded, whereas with the present construction it may be utilized to provide a storage space with a chiiforobe above.

Manifestly the invention is not intended to be limited to details of construction shown for purposes of exemplification. Furthermore, it is not essential that all features of the'invention be used conjointly as various combinations or subcombinations may at times be advantageously employed. Such changes may be made in various modifications of the invention as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing therefrom. a r

The invention having been described, what is here claimed is:

1. In a combination separable crib and chest of drawers structure, a base element, a crib frame supported on the base element, tenons on the lower face of the crib frame, mortises in the upper face of the base element receiving the tenons, one side of said frame comprising laterally opening gates, a chest of drawers supported on the crib frame, tenons on the lower face of the chest of drawers, mortises in the upper face of the crib frame receiving the tenons on the chest of drawers, said tenons and mortises being respectively corresponding and interchangeable on the base element and crib frame and on the crib frame and chest of drawers whereby the base element may support the crib frame directly and the chest of drawers indirectly through the intermediation of the crib frame, or the chest of drawers directly and the crib frame indirectly through the intermediation of the chest of drawers, said gates being openable and closable in either arrangement for access to the interior of the crib frame.

2. In a combination separable crib and chest of drawers structure, a base element, a crib frame supported on the base element,'interengaging means at the lower end of the crib frame and corresponding interengaging means at the upper face of the base element, a chest of drawers supported on the crib frame, interengaging means at the lower end of the chest. of drawers and corresponding interengaging means at the upper face of the crib frame, said interengaging means and corresponding interengaging means being respectively identical'and interchangeable whereby the chest of drawers may support the crib frame on the base element, or the crib frame may support the chest of drawers on the base element, or either one singly may be supported on the base element, and said means may be selectively operative.

FRANCIS H. WEIGLE.

BERNARD YUFFY.

appearances ci'rnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

